focalist

Well, wasn't feeling too hot for a few days, so I got up to one of my favorite timekillers, bottom feeding on weird stuff on ebay. I'll just surf around looking for oddball items that nobody bids on, and throw a dollar bid. When I do this, I'll bid on like ten or twenty items, and maybe one item out of a hundred or so, I will win...

So, this time I bid on and won this:

Brand new in box "Zahm and Nagel" laboratory testing device.. seems to be some type of thing for measuring gas pressure and taking samples. Absolutely no idea what to do with it.. I think it may end up as part of the "Alchemy" props. If I find out the thing has some great value I will of course try to resell it- but since it was up for auction for a week and got ONE bid (mine) I suspect that selling it might be difficult at best. On reading the docs online, it seems it might be for brewing beer and wine, maybe the local Brew-it-yourself hobby beermaking shop might be interested.

On a more useful bent, I got four Dallas DS12887A real time clocks, new in tube.. I only needed one, and got the tube for a buck.; two SMC air valves ($1.75); a ten pack of ULN2003 ($1.60); and a five pack of 3w UV LED's ($2.50); two 328's ($3); and a couple of discretes like resistors and caps for under a dollar. The parts bins and wallet both appreciate me shopping at three am with no immediate need for the purchases being made...

Well, wasn't feeling too hot for a few days, so I got up to one of my favorite timekillers, bottom feeding on weird stuff on ebay. I'll just surf around looking for oddball items that nobody bids on, and throw a dollar bid. When I do this, I'll bid on like ten or twenty items, and maybe one item out of a hundred or so, I will win...

So, this time I bid on and won this:

Brand new in box "Zahm and Nagel" laboratory testing device.. seems to be some type of thing for measuring gas pressure and taking samples. Absolutely no idea what to do with it.. I think it may end up as part of the "Alchemy" props. If I find out the thing has some great value I will of course try to resell it- but since it was up for auction for a week and got ONE bid (mine) I suspect that selling it might be difficult at best. On reading the docs online, it seems it might be for brewing beer and wine, maybe the local Brew-it-yourself hobby beermaking shop might be interested.

On a more useful bent, I got four Dallas DS12887A real time clocks, new in tube.. I only needed one, and got the tube for a buck.; two SMC air valves ($1.75); a ten pack of ULN2003 ($1.60); and a five pack of 3w UV LED's ($2.50); two 328's ($3); and a couple of discretes like resistors and caps for under a dollar. The parts bins and wallet both appreciate me shopping at three am with no immediate need for the purchases being made...

Sweet. That is something that American Science and Surplus would try to sell for a hundred bucks. That looks really nice, whatever the heck it is.

I have a limited run Apple II project which requires power plugs, these things are on sale (ending tonight) for a 1.29$ each (+ like 7$ shipping) at the electronic goldmine ... now I have to be sure to use a LDO regulator, but at that price I could not refuse.

A quality telephoto for my nature shots. Almost as much for that one lens as it was to replace all that hardware!

Here's my last lens purchase

A 400mm f4 DO, $7000 near new.

For nature there's nothing like a shit-hot tele lens.

______Rob

I used to have a Canon 200mm f/1.8 which is a similar built lens, really big and stubby, not as modern as this thing. When the used price on it went to $4k on eBay after it was discontinued I sold it off. The only piece of technology equipment I ever made a profit on. (bought it for $2K used when they were still in production).

@draythomp Yes it's one nice lens. I had a 300/2.8 for years with my old Canon FD system but all that went when I changed to digital a few years ago.

This 400 is smaller and lighter than the 300/2.8, light enough to carry around just in case you need it.

@JoeNThe 200/1.8 is quite similar physically but of course useful for a very different type of photography.

I got this 2nd hand but not used from a press photographer who decided to get something bigger. When I first decided to get one they were $12k and I just couldn't justify that. I got this for something like $6995 and I see they are now $8000+ at DigitalRev.

This is one great lens, wide open with a 1.4 converter it's as sharp as a tack. This and my 1D with a flash and better beamer is my standard wildlife kit these days.